No, nothing to do with the Kylie Minogue song, more a reflection of life and people. I’ve just been reading about Phil Collins, erstwhile drummer in Genesis, successful solo artist and multi-millionaire. He’s the same age as me (although two months older), has a son aged 37 (my daughter is 37), and retired in 2010; like me. The big difference (besides him being extremely rich), is that whereas when he retired (according to an interview with the Mail on Sunday) he sat in front of the TV, watched cricket and drunk copious bottles of wine; I did none of those things.

I’ve admired Phil from afar for over 40 years. In his pomp he was a great singer, drummer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. When with Genesis, they produced some the greatest prob rock ever, and when he went solo in 1980 with Face Value. This was required listening for me at the time, because I was spending a lot of time working away, missing my wife and family and the songs on this album hit a nerve. Hello I Must Be Going and No Jacket Required followed quickly and both were again a superb set of songs on landmark albums. Like most pop singers, he ran out of steam after about 15 years and some of his later work was so-so and I didn’t buy it. Its strange that lots of his ilk go through the same hiatus: McCartney, Sting, Knopfler etc. They become famous, produce great music but then end up churning out lift music. Phil was no exception and I don’t think he ever recaptured the early work he wrote and recorded which for me anyway, hit the the mark. Along the way he did some acting, notably in Buster and Miami Vice and perhaps he should have capitalised on that skill. Never mind he still toured, with Genesis and without then fizzled out a bit. I don’t blame him for saying he retired and he had nothing to do, but surely even superannuated rock stars can do other things? That’s the thing about being up there, and then being down, its always bad when you’re down. Like me he could have done so many other things, helping others beside his family, getting involved with the local community, being there for neighbours. I accept that he was a rock god and maybe couldn’t be ‘normal’ amongst ordinary folk, but I’m sure he could have tried. There’s always something that can be done to alleviate boredom, you’ve just got to have imagination.

So Phil, if you’re bored with doing nothing, and feeling sorry for yourself, with all the millions you earned over the years, send some to me and I’ll find a worthy cause to help out, and I don’t mean my own. Congratulations by the way on admitting you’re an alcoholic, and that you’ve given up the booze, now go out and do something useful! Even if its writing more great songs and getting some records out. If they’re as good as ‘In the Air Tonight’, ‘Behind the Lines’, or ‘Sussudio’ I’ll be downloading/buying them. On reflection, that’s what you’re good at, so get to it. Get Lucky.

Stop press, just heard that Lynsey de Paul has died at 64, the age Phil and I will get to next year. Even more reason to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get a life, before its too late.

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About cliverh

Retired aerospace engineer, first with the Royal Air Force and then BAE Systems. Now enjoying a variety of activities and not getting bored. I was a Games Maker Volunteer at the London 2012 Olympics and a volunteer at the Rugby World Cup 2015 in England. I intend to blog about what interests me.